Do I look like I care?
by happydemonhobo
Summary: Oneshot:When Kurama needs surgery, Hiei tries to understand. Takes place early in the friendship, before the show.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho…it belongs to its creator and I make no money from my writings.

**Do I look like I care?**

**Rated:** K

**Summary:** When Kurama needs surgery, Hiei tries to understand.

Kurama lay on his bed, textbook in hand. He wasn't going to school tomorrow because he needed to be at the hospital early, but it still did not deter him from doing his homework, least he fall behind.

A soft knock on the door caused the red head to look up from his book. Knowing who it was, he put on a guilty face as his okasan opened the door.

"Shuiichi dear, I thought you'd be up." Shori said, opening the door further and coming in.

"I wan…" Kurama tried to say.

"At…no excuses…I know you want to finish your homework, but you can do it later, the teachers already know you will be missing tomorrow and tomorrow is Friday, so you will have the weekend dear." Shori walked over and sat on the bed, taking the book and laying it on the nightstand. "Get some rest, I know you don't think you need it, but you need to be up early and you will be tired afterwards.

"Yes okasan." Kurama muttered.

Shori let a small smile cross her lips. She knew the procedure was going to be simple. It was done all the time and happened to many people of all ages. Though she could not help but worry, she was a mother after all. Don't all mothers worry when their child has to have surgery, no matter how minor?

"Lights out in five." She said, getting up and heading to the door. "Sleep well and don't worry, before you know it, you'll be home and resting." She closed the door, leaving him to wonder if she had made that comment more for her comfort than his.

Kurama reached for the lamp and felt a familiar presence. Looking to the window, he saw a pair of crimson eyes in the dark. Smiling, he got up and opened the window. He thought his new friend might stop by before the surgery.

"Hello." He said softly as he opened the window, allowing the black cloaked figure to jump in.

"Hn." Hiei said landing and looking around the room. He had seen the boy's mother in the room earlier and had watched the interaction between the two. He found it disturbing that this once former fox now had the tolerance to deal with ningens.

Kurama watched as Hiei went to the desk chair and took the seat, sitting straight and on edge. Hiei never relaxed when he visited and his okasan was home, he was always ready to take flight if he heard her coming.

"So it happens tomorrow?" Hiei said.

"Huh…yes…are you worried?" Kurama asked, somewhat caught off guard by the bluntness of the question. He smirked, if he didn't know better he'd think Hiei cared.

Seeing the smirk, Hiei retorted. "Like I care…it's your body."

"Are you still confused?" Kurama asked getting back in bed, making him self comfortable.

"What, do you want to go into a monologue again?" Hiei said, rolling his eyes. When the fox had first told him he needed surgery, he had gone into a lecture about what was going to happen. The black haired had rolled his eyes in indifference, telling the fox he was a fool to possess a ningen body. Knowing they did not have the stamina and such as a demon's.

Kurama reached over and grabbed a piece of paper that had been on his nightstand, leaning forward, he motioned for the fire demon to take it.

"What?" Hiei said with annoyance, reaching over and grabbing the paper. When Kurama didn't say anything he looked to the paper and began to read.

He scanned the words, still not quite understanding.

_A mass of Lymphatic tissue located in depressions of the mucous membrane of fauces and pharynx, a rounded mass on the inferior surface of the cerebellum lying lateral to the uvula. _

Laying the paper on the desk, Hiei said. "This makes no more sense than what you tried to tell me before."

"Sorry…I found that on the internet and thought it would help." Kurama said.

"I do have one question." Hiei said softly.

Kurama raised an eyebrow.

"Will you be in pain? Are you going to be awake when they do it?" Hiei asked, he didn't really care, he was more curious than anything. He only thought about it because of the ordeal he had gone through when he'd had his jagan implanted. No sedation, no medicine, nothing to help with the suffering. If you got sick in the Makai you were better off dead, not many knew of drugs and such to help heal. Another demon was more likely to kill you and put you out of your misery, than to deal with you.

Kurama tried to hold a smile, saying. "Why Hiei, if I did not know better, I would say you really are worried about me." The red head broke and let a big smile show. He knew he was pushing the issue of caring and knew he could push the fire demon right out the window if he kept it up.

Hiei went to stand.

"Please stay." Kurama said quickly, sitting up. "I am sorry I can not help it, blame my ningen nerves." He said, trying to make an excuse.

"Hn." Hiei grumbled, but did sit back down.

"To answer your question." Kurama began. "I will be given a local anesthesia." He looked down in thought. "But with my demon side, I do not know how I will react to it."

"So, what are you going to do?" Hiei wondered. The once bandit fox had told him before that he'd had reactions to ningen medicine.

Green eyes looked up, looking at crimson ones. "I plan on taking something before they give me the anesthesia." Kurama answered.

Black eyebrows went up.

"No worries." Kurama tried to assure. "It is only a mild demon drug. The doctors will think I can not handle the anesthesia. Many people have different reactions, so they will not be too worried. I will just be a little dopier." He looked to the crimson eyes with a smile.

"And your ningen body can live with out it?" Hiei asked.

"Yes, even though it acts as a filter to protect the body from invasion of bacteria and aids in the formation of white cells…" Kurama had begun to ramble and he stopped when he saw confusion on the koorime face. "Sorry…." He apologized. "To answer your question…yes, it can, over the last hundred years. Doctors have studied what the body can and can not live without."

"Shuiichi." They heard and Hiei went to the window.

Kurama jumped up out of bed. "Come back day after tomorrow, in the morning." He whispered and hurried the demon out the window, closing it and managing to get in bed and turn off the light before the door opened.

Shori looked at her son as the light from the hallway played across his bed. 'Everything will be fine.' She told herself. She wondered how long Shuiichi would have let it go on, before he told her, if he ever would have. He never seemed to tell her when he was sick or feeling bad. She had taken him to the doctor's on a whim, after seeing how he was acting and was glad she had. Being told her son needed surgery was a shock, but not unexpected. She closed the door and headed to bed, hoping tomorrow would go smoothly.

_**(Day after surgery, morning**_**)**

Hiei watched from his perch in the tree outside the fox's window. He had not moved since he saw the red head put to bed the evening before. He didn't know why he cared for the fox. Maybe because he was the one person he knew here and the only person he could turn to when he needed help dealing with this world. He had watched all evening as the boy's mother came in and out of the room, bringing things like drinks and something red on a stick, before turning off the light for the night.

He was going to knock and visit, but then realized the fox was probably still as he called it 'dopey', so he waited.

When he woke that morning, he saw the red head buried under the covers. He watched as the door opened and saw the mother come in with a bowl and spoon. Watching the interactions, he again, bided his time.

Seeing the coast was clear, the fire demon landed on the ledge of the window and knocked.

Kurama got up and opened the window, saying. "Hello, I hoped you would stop by." The red head's voice was soft and raspy.

"You okay?" Hiei asked, though not really knowing why.

Kurama nodded. "I will be in a day or so, enough to go to school day after tomorrow." He went back over and sat, picking up the bowl and began eating.

"Is that….." Hiei muttered. He was eyeing the contents in the bowl and drool started to form on the corner of his mouth. The fox had introduced him to the ningen food and he had become very addicted to it.

"Yes." Kurama said with a smile as he watched the fire demon begin to drool.

"Shuiichi dear." They heard. Kurama rolled his eyes as Hiei went to the window. But the red head managed to stop the demon from fleeing by grabbing him by his cloak and placing him behind the door. Red eyes gave a death glare as he was pushed to the wall behind the door just as the door opened.

Seeing Shuiichi at the door when she opened it caught Shori off guard.

"Oh, you shouldn't be up yet." She said. "The doctor said you had a reaction to the anesthesia and could get dizzy spells."

Holding up the empty bowl, Shuiichi asked softly. "I was wondering if I could have some more, maybe…chocolate chip."

She gave him a quizzical look before saying. "I don't think that would be a good idea. The chips are hard and big."

Kurama did the one thing he knew would break her. He pouted his lips and gave his best puppy dog eyes. He knew if Hiei could see what he was doing he would call him crazy for playing such games.

"Oh….okay." She said, breaking under the face. "But you must promise me you will suck the chips until they melt in your mouth and drink a glass of water after." She requested.

"I promise." Kurama said, holding up a hand in oath.

Taking the bowl, Shori shoed her son back to bed, saying. "No more talk, you need to rest, back in bed…now." She then turned and headed downstairs.

Kurama left the door open and went to sit on the bed. From his angle he could see Hiei who was staring at him like he was dead meat. The red head just shrugged it off.

When Shori came back to the room, Kurama got up and met her before she could step all the way in.

"I thought I told you to get back in bed." She scolded, handing him the bowl.

Kurama had opened the door as far as it could go, making the fire demon blaster himself in the small triangular space.

Shori looked to the clock on the nightstand. "Oh my…I got to get going. I didn't realize how late it was. I will be gone about six hours or so, you have the number, if you need anything. Bye dear…please take it easy, be very careful if you go down stairs…" She was starting to ramble.

"Okasan." Kurama said and waited until he got her attention. "I will be fine. If you do not leave now, you will be late." He assured her.

"Yes dear, you are correct. Bye." She said and gave him a kiss on the cheek before hurrying down the stairs.

With his head shaking, Kurama closed the door. Hiei practically peeling off the wall, as it closed. The red head ignored him and sat back on the bed, holding the bowl.

The smaller figure walked over and upon seeing the contents, his mouth again started drooling.

Letting a smile cross his face, Kurama presented the bowl to the fire demon.

Eyebrows raised, Hiei hesitated.

"Yes, for you." Kurama said. His smile bigger, as he watched the bowl be taken.

Starting to eat and trying not to hog it down, Hiei savored the sweet taste, letting the cream melt in his mouth, before biting the chips.

"Would you like to stay and maybe watch a movie?" Kurama asked, watching his friend devour the contents.

"What would we watch?" Hiei asked with his mouth full. The red head had also introduced him to what he called 'movies.' At first, he kept asking why the fights were staged, causing the red head to laugh and try to explain 'actors' and 'stunt doubles' and that they were for entertainment purposes. He still didn't understand, but liked talking to the fox, so he would stay.

"The Princess Bride?" Kurama said, raising a red eyebrow.

Hiei rolled his eyes as he took the last bite. They had watched that movie more than any other. Kurama called it a comedy, he called it stupid.

After a moment, the fire demon said. "Deal, but only if I can have some more." He countered, holding out the empty bowl.

Kurama smiled taking the bowl then leading his new friend out the door and down the stairs.

**The End**


End file.
